Former Legislative Council Chairman D. Manjunath, 92, passed away here on Monday after a brief illness. He leaves behind his wife and two sons.
In recent years, Mr. Manjunath had withdrawn from active politics because of age and illness. Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa and former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy were among those who offered condolences.
Mr. Manjunath was first elected to the Legislative Assembly in 1967 from Hiriyur and became Deputy Speaker. Mr. Manjunath had a long association with the Janata Parivar after his initial association with the Congress. His last stint as Minister came during the JD(S)-BJP coalition, when he became Minister for Forests and Higher Education in the Kumaraswamy Cabinet.
Between 1984 and 1987, he held the Labour, Education and Planning portfolios in the Ramakrishna Hegde Cabinet. He was Higher Education Minister in the JD (S)-Congress coalition government, headed by N. Dharam Singh, between 2004 and 2006. He also served as Revenue Minister in the J.H. Patel Cabinet.
Mr. Manjunath, who hailed from Jajoor village in Challakere taluk of Chitradurga district, was elected unanimously the Chairman of the Council in 1987. In recent years, he had identified himself with the BJP.
